Headline News from Northern California & Southern Oregon

Clear Lake, Lake County
Bass fishing is a very popular sport but only a handful of anglers manage to catch the big ones.


 


Dry Stretch Sets the Stage for Prime Steelhead Conditions
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, JANUARY 8, 2026



After a very wet end to the year, the rain has finally shut off and it’s time to watch the rivers drop into fishable shape. The “last hurrah” of rain came earlier this week, and we’re now entering an extended stretch of drier weather — exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Over the next week, most coastal rivers (aside from the...
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Sun's Out!
by Collins Lake Staff, JANUARY 6, 2026
Collins Lake

Sun's Out! Weekly Trout Plants have been going since October and are scheduled every week till May! Daytime highs forecast in the 50's all week and touching 60 early next week. Collins Lake is 100% Full!
Rising rivers reset coastal steelhead conditions
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, JANUARY 1, 2026



The Smith and Chetco have been in great shape this week, and green water was finally on the horizon for some of the other coastal rivers. Unfortunately, that’s all about to change — again. Mother Nature is again hitting the reset button, putting rivers back on the rise and erasing about a week and a half of progress toward fishable...
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Looking Forward to a Better Fishing Year
Trinity River Fishing
by E.B. Duggan, DECEMBER 28, 2025

Trinity River - Willow Creek Weir

I wish all HAPPY HOLADAYS and a GREAT NEW YEAR To end out the year and start the Winter Fishing we had as DISASATER at the Trinity River Hatchery. On November 7th the intake screens to the hatcher plugged up when the large debris screen broke and allowed the debris to clog the intake screens thus disallowing water flow into the hatchery....
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All Eyes on the Smith as Storms Limit Winter Steelhead Options
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, DECEMBER 18, 2025



If you’re looking to tangle with your first coastal winter steelhead between now and the end of the year, your options will likely be limited to the Smith River. It’s currently the only river on the coast running green and fishable, and it’s expected to remain that way as the region stays locked into a wet weather pattern over the...
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Storms Set Stage for Winter Steelhead Kickoff
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, DECEMBER 11, 2025



Winter steelhead season has been slow to ignite on the North Coast, but that’s about to change. A series of storm systems is lining up over the Pacific, and the impacts could be significant beginning next week and beyond. According to the National Weather Service, rain is expected to arrive Monday and persist for several days, with a few inches forecast...
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